Improvement in reaping and mowing machines



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID WATSON, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN REAVPING AND MOWING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters vPatent N 0. 16,413, dated January 13, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID WATSON, ot Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Mowing and Reaping Machines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part ot this specification, in which- Figure l is a side view of my improvement, the tlnger-bar being bisected transversely, as indicated by the line x w, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a front view ot the same, the finger-bar being bisected transversely, as indicated by the line y y, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is aplan or top view of the same. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan of the same, the driving-pinion being removed.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct niyinvention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a metal hanger. or stirrup, which is attached to the main frame ofthe machine; and B is the linger-bar, or, rather, a portion of said b ar, the inner end ot' which is secured in the hanger or stirrup A by a bolt, a, which passes through the hanger and transversely through the linger. (See Figs. l, 2, and 3.)

O represents a dat spring,which is attached to the hanger A, the said spring bearing upon the upper surface ot the finger-bar. The tinger-bar is allowedto work upon the bolt a, and the bar consequently will rise or fall to correspond to the inequalities of the ground, the spring C preventing the bar from rising casually.

D represents one of the fingers. Any proper number ot' fingers is used. The lingers are secured to the bar B by drilling holes b through it near its front edge and cut-ting slots c from said holes to the edge, as shown clearly in Fig. 4. The under portions ot' the back part of the lingers are cut with cylindrical and square portions d e, so that said portions may lit in the holes b and slot-s c. (See Fig. 4.) By this means of attachment a dovetail connection is formed and the fingers are secured firmly to the bar, and with but a slight expense. Through the back part of the finger D a vertical shaft, f, passes, said shaft also passing through the finger-bar and having a bevel-pinion, g, on

its lower end. The upper part of this shaft passes through the center of a triangular cutter, E, having three cutting edges or sides, h h h. The cutter E is attached permanently to the upper end of the shaft, or may be secured thereto by a nut. The angles of the cutter E,

as the cutter rotates, work through a slot, t',

or form described,actin the most eective manner upon the grass or grain, and are not liable t0 become choked or clogged. The finger-bar also is allowed to yield or conform to the inequalities of the ground, owing to its peculiar connection with the hanger A, and the grass or grain will be cut in an even manner.

It will be seen by reference to the spring c that it is so attached to the stirrup A that whileit is protected from the grass it answers the purpose ot" bringing back the cutterbar into a horizontal position when from any cause the bar has deviated either above or below that line. It will also be seen that the spring extends beyond the center ot' the bolt on each side, and that as the action ot the finger-bar in one direction tends to compress one side of the spring the action ot' the linger-bar in the other direction tends to bring it back into its .original eective position. The spring, being curved, is easily adjusted by set-screws.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The use and application of the adjustable curved flat springe to the upper surface ot' the finger-bar B, when both are attached to the stirrup A for joint action in the manner and for the purposes described.

DAVID WATSON. 

